Rep. Jeanne Ives Seeks to Broaden Scope of College of DuPage Performance Audit

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Friday, February 20, 2015

In an effort to gain a full and comprehensive understanding into the financial activity surrounding the College of DuPage (COD) since 2011, State Representative Jeanne Ives (R-Wheaton) has amended a House Resolution filed last month to deepen the scope of an investigation by the Illinois Auditor General.

The original resolution, HR55, was filed in response to the COD Trustees’ decision last month to approve a $763,000 contract buyout deal for its current College President Robert Breuder, who will leave is post later this year.

“Those who pay taxes to the College of DuPage were outraged by the reckless decision to provide President Breuder with a $763,000 golden parachute deal on his way out the door,” said Ives. “House Resolution 55 asks the Illinois Auditor General to conduct a performance audit of the College of DuPage for fiscal years 2011-2014, and the amendment I filed this week adds depth to the areas that can be investigated.”

The Illinois Constitution limits the Auditor General’s audit authority only to public funds appropriated or authorized by the General Assembly, and Ives, along with several of the resolution’s other 57 sponsors, felt the scope of the audit needed to be broadened. The amendatory language filed by Ives this week asks the Auditor General to utilize the Intergovernmental Cooperation Act, which would allow him to contract with the College of DuPage to increase the scope of the audit. The new language asks COD to pay for the cost of the audit.

“If the College of DuPage Trustees have nothing to hide they should have no problem partnering with the Illinois Auditor General on a full and comprehensive audit,” Ives said. “In light of the board’s recent poor decisions, the taxpayers who fund the College deserve a thorough audit into how their tax dollars are actually being spent.”

According to the amendatory language in HR55, the audit is to include, but does not have be limited to, the following determinations for the years 2011-2014:

The College of DuPage’s sources of revenues

College expenditures, by broad category

Whether the Board is carrying out its responsibilities required by Board policy

Whether the Board is meeting its fiduciary responsibilities and ensuring compliance with the Public Community College Act and Board Policies

Whether the compensation and severance packages provided to the COD President are comparable to compensation and severance packages provided to Presidents of other Illinois Community Colleges

Whether changes to the College President’s compensation package were properly approved

“When the COD Trustees made that sweetheart deal with Breuder, they triggered a public outcry over the manner in which they make decisions with taxpayer resources,” Ives said. “This detailed audit is an appropriate legislative response and I look forward to reading the final report.”